Motor-cycle lighting system.



A. H. NEULAND. MOTOIVCYCLE LIGHTING SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED IAN. I9, 1914.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

WMM/IQ@ l as motorcycles.

NrrED srArns PATENT orifice' ALFoNs H. NEULAND, or BEaeENrInLn-Nnw JERSEY, AssIcNoa To NEULAND MAeNn'ro COMPANY, or sAN FRANCISCO, 'CALIFORNIA, A conronATIoN or CALIFORNIA.

MOTOR-CYCLE LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915 Application led January 19, 1914. Serial No. 812,908.

T allA 1 0/1.0m it 'may concern Be it known vthat I, ALroNs H. NEULAND, a subjectof the Czar of Russia, residing at Bergenfield, in the county -of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have Invented certain new and useful improvements in Motor- Cycle Lighting Systems, of which the fol.-

invention are particularly adapted as light.

ing systems for motor driven vehicles, such Lighting systems in common use for motorcycles are mainly of three types: those employing simply a storage battery from .whichthe current is drawn for the lamps as desired; those employing a small generator which is connected directly tothe lamps; and those employing a generator and storage battery. These systems, however, haveA well recognized' disadvantages. F or instance, the first type requires the charging of the storage battery at frequent intervals Iwhich is inconvenient and troublesome; the

second type generates a varying current de- ,pendingupon the speed of the motor which "is weak at low speeds, and at high speeds,

either generates an excessive current orentails the inclusion of clutch mechanism, which is undesirable; and the -third type is complicated, heavy and expensive.

An object-of my invention is to provide simple means for generating a constant current at the varying engine speeds for light- -ing motorcycles.l

Another object is to provide a system for this purpose which will be inexpensive to construct and maintain, and which will be small,-c0mpact and easily attached to motorcycles:

'Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description.

-In my invention, I employ a generator of high frequency, as herein described, toget-lier with an external circuit of constant resistance, and a coil so proportioned with respect to turns and carrying capacity as to limit the generatedcurrent to that value required by Vthe lamp. in the external' circuit,

which value corresponds with .the maximum current which the magneto is capable of revolution of the magneto generator, a suiiiciently high voltage is attained at a rela# tively low speed of the magneto to force this f ull load current through the combined re sistance of the circuit, and since this full load current is the maximum current which this magneto generator is capable .of gen'- 'erating, the current is substantially unaffected by increase of speed of the magneto beyond this critical speed. The high fre- .quency of this magneto generator also results in a constant unfliclrering light in the lamp at this low critical speed at which the full brilliancy of the lampv is attained.

In its 'specific form the magneto hason each side of the coil two poles of opposite polarity, preferably/obtained by splitting or dividing the poles of a bipolar magnet; and

the inner faces of the poles and 'the periphery of the rotative inductor are provided with corresponding teeth extending parallel to the axis of the inductor, the teeth on one pole of each polarity being circumferentially olf-set a half tooth pitch from theteethof they other pole of the same polarity, whereby the rotary inductor serves to alternately magnetically connect the poles of opposite polarity on opposite sides of the coil, and to reverse theV magnetic field througli the coil once for each angular movement of the indu'ctor for a distance of one tooth pitch. An alternating highfrequency current suitable for lighting purposes is thereby obtainedat a relatively low speedof rotation of the inductor.

My inventionalso includes various other features and arrangements of parts which will hereinafter more4 fully appear.

' I shall now describe the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompany ing drawings and shallvthereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure l is a central axial section of the magneto generator; Fig. 2 is a .transverse section of the same on line Q-Qof Fig. l, looking toward the left, and includinga diagenerating. Due to the high frequency per nal ribs 20 and 21, and integral with the wall 1a and spaced somewhat from the inner periphery of the cylindrical wall are two outstanding lugs or arms 22 and 23 parallel with the axis of the casing. The permanent magnet is composed of two substantially and south poles ad]acent, formingv a permanent north and south pole, as indicated by the letters N and S. These poles are provided with laminated po'le pieces of general arcuate shape which are separate members and are supported at three points, their two ends abutting against the lugs or arms 22 and 23, and their centers contacting against the respective -ribs 21 and 22 ends of the magnet sections.- VIn the shown, the arms or lugs 22 and 23 are of general T-shape in cross section and have their heads extending oppositely adjacent ends of the pole pieces. The laminated magnets and pole pieces are thus rigidly supported and locked in the -frame and securely held in place against lateral or circumferential displacement. This construction for' supporting and holding the magnets and pole parts or divisions is the subject of a divisional application, Serial No. 18,009, filed March 30, 1915. The pole pieces are provided with central coil-receiving slots 3 and 3 respectively, and the halves or sections form pole parts or divisions S', S2, N and N2, respectively, the pole-parts S and N2 being on one side of the coil 5, and the pole parts N and S2 being on the opposite side of the coil. The induction coil 5 is arranged within the slots 3 and -and extends between the poles longitudin ally ofthe casing and surrounding the inductor.

The inner faces of the pole parts are ar.- ranged in a circle and are provided with similar teeth 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b, respectively, arranged parallel to each other and to the axis ,of the casing. The teeth on each section are of the same pitch and the two adjacent teeth on the opposite sides 'of each of the slots 3 and 3 are so spaced apart that the teeth on one pole parts are olif-set from the teeth on the other pole parts of the same polaritya vdistance equal to onehalf a tooth pitch.

Mounted axially in the casing and ro- .tatable between the pole-pieces is an 1nductor 8 formed of a plurality of annular A laminated plates, preferably of steel, mounted upon a drum 9 which has a hub portion iixed on the shaft 10 of the inductor, which is driven by the engineshaft 10 in any usual or suitable way, as by gearing, as

shown. The shaft 10 bears in the sleeve 11 which is secured within an inwardly-projectand adjacent form over the.

ing hub 12 integral with the front of the casing.

The inductor is provided with teeth 8? similar and parallel to those on thegpolepieces, and of a similar pitch, the diaineter of theinductor being such that the ends of its teeth-rotate in close proximity to the inner ends of the teeth on the pole parts. Due to the off-setting of the teeth on one pole part of each polarity a distance equal to one-half a tooth pitch, relative to those on the other pole-piece of the same polarity, it is evident that, as the inductor rotates, its teeth alternately are alined with those on pole parts of opposite4 polarity onv opposite sides of the coil, that is, in one position its teeth are alined with teeth tia-and 7 a on the pole parts N. and S respectively, and an angular movement of the inductor for onehalf a tooth pitch causes its teeth to aline with the teeth 6" and 7b on the pole' parts N2 and S2 respectively, and that its teeth are staggered in these respective positions with the teeth with which they are not alined. Since the magnetic flux will assume the path of least reluctance, it'is evident that the iux is therefore reversedthrough the coil for each angular movement ofthe inductor for a distance of'one toothpitch and that for each complete rotation of the inductor, twice as many impulses are produced in the coil as there are teeth on the inductor.

The ends of the induced coil 5 are connected to the external lighting circuit 13 within which is arranged the glow lamp 14. The lamp is chosen in connection with each lighting unit which will require for its full brilliancy a current corresponding approximately to the maximum possiblebc'urrent in the coil of the magneto generator, and the resistance of which will produce in the entire circuit the resistance which will require the voltage produced at the critical magneto speed to force the full load current through the circuit. Since a lconst ant resistance is essential to the invention, only a lamp satisfying these requirements can be used. It will now be seen that a current of sufficiently high frequency to produce a steady and unflickering-light@ is induced in the circuit at relatively low speeds of rotation of the.in ductor, and an induced coil of theproper number of `turns and of proper carrying capacity is chosen which, with the lamp of given resistance, will have generated therein, under the conditions depending upon the shape, pitch and number of teeth lon the in-Y ductor and on the pole-pieces, only the maximum current required by the lamp. 'Thus there is obtaineda lighting system, the.

quired voltage necessary to force the max- '2 fai imum current through theeiiternal and in-l ternal resistances and to give to the lamp its full brilliancy is reached at a very low rateof angular velocity.

-From the foregoing it will bemanifestl that with the inductor at rest and some of the teeth alined and others staggered, no current beinggenerated' in the coil, all of the magnetic flux is passing through the coil. As the inductor starts to rotate, a slight voltage is generated, and a current in p'roportion to the generated voltage is forced through the circuitand this current reacts upon the flux and results in a decrease of the effective alternating fiuX through the coil and in an increase of the opposed flux through the coil between the non-alined teeth. ln other words, at any instant when the teeth in one half of the pole are alined with the teeth in the inductor, thus making an easy path for the fiuX, there is a certain amount of flux passing between the teethof.the same pole on the other side of the coil and the staggered teeth of the inductor, which acts to oppose the generation of current in the coil. This opposing fluX is sufficiently great at the time the maximum current is generated in the coil to prevent the further generation of current therein, should the speed increase. A further increase in speed will result in an increased voltage and a correspondingly increased current and a correspondingly decreased effective fiuX through the coil as a result of 'the back ampere turns until a condition is reached where sufficient voltage is generated to force-full load current through the circuit producing full briliiancy in the lamp and which is also the maximum current which the machine is capable of generating. An increase in speed above this critical speed will have substantially no eifect upon the brilliancy of the lamp since the current can not rise above this maximum value TWhen the critical speed has been reached, that is, the speed which develops suflicient'potential to force the predetermined current through the circuit which is practically non-inductive, the power factor of the current is substantially unity; at the instant of maximum current the teeth on both sides of the coil are half alined. An increase of speed above this critical value causes the predetermined current to increasingly react due to the lagging of the current behind the voltage.-

`When a speed manytimes the critical is reached the power factor may decrease substantially .to zero; the reaction is now great est being directly in line with the'ield at the unalined teeth and directly opposed to the field at the alined teeth.

lt-will now be apparent that in practical operation', the lamp on the motorcycle will reach its full brilliancy practically the instant that the motor is started, and that teo g thereafter the current passing through the lamp is substantially unaffected bythe speed of the motor and all danger of burning out the lamp is thereby obviated. As the running of the motor is a requisite to the movement of the motorcycle, the lamp is always illuminated when it is needed.

lt is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention.

l claim g l. A motor vehicle lighting system comprising a magneto adapted to be driven at variable'speeds and including an induced coil, and a consuming circuit of constant resistance connected to said coil including current consuming lighting means, the magneto being adapted'to produce a high frequency and potential at a low critical speed serving 'to force a predetermined current through said circuit, the coil being so disposed relative to the field as to produce said predetermined current at saidy critical speed and so that the current therein will react against one portion of the field and cooperate with another portion of the field, whereby,the current is maintained substantially constant at speeds greater than said critical speed.

2. A motor vehicle lighting system comprising a magnetic field member having few poles, a relatively rotatable inductor closely associated with the field member, the field member and the inductor being so shaped 100 as to cooperate in producing a high frequency relative to the number' of poles at a relatively low speed of rotation, andan electric circuit of predetermined fixed resistance including current consuming lighting means lO and including an'induced and'reactance coil, said coil being associated with the magnetic field member and so disposed in the field that a predetermined current will be generated in the circuit at a relatively low critical 1l( speed of rotation and so'that at increased speeds the current therein will increasingly react against one portion of the field-and increasingly coperate with another portion of the field, whereby the current-is maintained substantially constant at speeds greater thansaid relatively low speed.

3.- A motor vehicle lighting system comprising a. magneto having relatively few field poles and adapted to be driven at vari- 120 able speeds and including an induced.. coil, and a consuming circuitof fixed constant resistance connected to said: coil and including current consuming lighting means, the magneto being adapted to produce with said few poles a high frequency and potential at a relatively low critical speed, the said frequency and potential being such that at a relatively low criticalspeed a predetermined current is generated in said circuit, said curl ing curre magneto being adap few poles a high fre a relatively-low criti so disposed in the A into a predomina tive 'in generating portion which is of a pote portioned cal speed a predeter to flow in said ci and potential w of the said critical spec coil reacts against the h the opposed iiux rent in said edil reactin flux and coperatin ds in excess o y the'predetermined curr ntially constant. icle lighting system com-V and potential, whereby at speeds in excess at spee whereb maintained substa Al. A motor veh prising a magneto field poles and adap able speeds and including and a consuming circuit resistance connected to sai 'nt lconsuming lighting means,

duce with said ed for use with variable speed motors and d potential at comprising a magnet having two poles, each d, the coil beingl pole comprising two spaced pole parts or operates wit tains its predetermine constant.

5. A motor ve prising a poles, a relatively'rota associated with the fie member and the ind as to coperate to pr at a relatively and anelectric fxed resistance includi ing lighting means an reactance co1 field vas to divide the flux Witnesses: ting portion which is active ntial and a lesser porduced and disposed in the into a predomina in generating a pote g'against the active tion which is opposed to the generation of a h the opposed fluX,' potential, and said coil being so propord critical speed, tloned that at a low predetermined critical ent value is speed a predetermlned current is caused to flow in said circuit by the said frequency having reolatively few of the said critlcal speed the current 1n said ted to be driven at varicoil reacts against vthe active flux and coan induced coil, operates with the opposed flux and main-A of fixed constant tains its predetermined value substantially d coil andincludconstant.

the 6. A motor vehicle lighting system adaptld as todivide the flux divisions, a rotary inductor adapted to be ting portion which is acdriven in proportion to the speed of the a potential and a lesser motor and disposed between the poles of dz to the generation the magnet, and an electric circuit of pred said coil being so prodetermined fixed resistance including a glow that at a low predetermined criti. lamp and including an induced and reactmined current is caused ance coil, the said coil surrounding two adt by the said frequency jacent divisions of opp'osite polarity, the cohereby at speeds in excess operative faces of the inductor and polar d-'the current in said divisions being so mutilated as to generate active flux and and mainand produce a predetermined current inthe value substantially4 circuit at a relatively'low critical speed of co a relatively high frequency and potential rotation, the said coil being so proportioned hicle lighting system comthat at the said critical speed of rotation c field member having few the predetermined current is caused to flow tableV inductor closely in said circuit by saidI frequency and potenld member, the field tial, whereby at speeds in excess of the said tor being so shaped critical speed the current in said coil reduce a high frequency acts against the active flux and cooperates tical speed of rotation, with the opposed flux and maintains its circuit of predetermined predetermined value substantially constant. ng current consum- In witness whereof I subscribe my signad including an inture in the presence of two witnesses.

l, the "coil being so ALroNs H. NEULAND.

VICTOR D. BoRs'r, -WALDO CHAPIN. 

